This is the first restraint free medical device for correctly positioning a patient in the sitting position for the purpose of performing spinals or epidurals. This device promotes flexion of the lumbar/thoracic spine while in the sitting position. When the patient sits on the medical device, the knees are raised upwards, the patient""s pelvis rotates backwards, and this in turn will promote flexion of the lumbar/thoracic spine. When the lumbar/thoracic spine flexes the intervertebral space is enlarged, this enlargement facilitates the passage of the tip of a hollow needle between the vertebrae.
An epidural procedure requires placing the tip of a hollow needle (an epidural needle) in the epidural space. A spinal procedure requires placing the tip of a hollow needle (a spinal needle) in the subarachnoid space. In either procedure the needle must pass through a narrow space between the vertebra (the intervertebral passage) into the epidural or subarachnoid space. The purpose of the invention in either of these procedures is to facilitate the procedures, to reduce the number of attempts required to insert the needles thereby reducing the patient""s discomfort and the time spent performing these procedures, and to reduce the number of attempted procedures that are abandoned after multiple failed attempts to insert the needles.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,829,079, 3,984,093, 4,660,552, and 5,357,982. However, each one of these references which are primarily restraining devices to control the incooperative patient, suffers from the disadvantage that the patient has to be forcibly restrained by the straps and pads. In addition, these devices do not produce the optimally flexed and aligned back needed to facilitate the procedures. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,829,079 and 5,357,982 are intended to be used with the patient lying in the lateral position.
For the above reasons, there is a need for this medical device for performing Spinals or Epidurals, for the cooperative patient in the sitting position, who does not need to be restrained. Furthermore, this device can be inexpensively manufactured and is easy to use.
The present invention is directed to a medical device, without restraints, that aids in positioning a patient correctly in the sitting position when performing a spinal or an epidural. The medical device comprises of a wedge like structure in which the front wall must have a greater height than the rear wall and the height differential must create an incline between the front wall and the rear wall from about two degrees to about thirty five degrees, and in which all walls of the medical device are made of an inflexible material. The medical device can further comprise of a tube like structure inserted through the wedge like device adjacent to the front wall, wherein said tube like structure is at least four inches greater in width than the front wall. The wedge like device is used by placing the device on an elevated surface and then instructing the patient to sit on the device. The patient will sit on the device with the patients knees flexing at the juncture between the front wall and the top wall of the wedge like device. To maximize the benefit of the device, the patient is instructed to push upward on the handles created by the tube. The angle created by the wedge like device promotes flexion of the lumbar/thoracic spine without restraining the patient.